R E V E L A T I O N.

CHAP. X.

This chapter is an introduction to the latter part
of the prophecies of this book. Whether what is contained between
this and the sounding of the seventh trumpet (ch. xi. 15) be a distinct prophecy from the
other, or only a more general account of some of the principal
things included in the other, is disputed by our curious enquirers
into these abstruse writings. However, here we have, I. A
remarkable description of a very glorious angel with an open book
in his hand, ver. 1-3. II.
An account of seven thunders which the apostle heard, as echoing to
the voice of this angel, and communicating some discoveries, which
the apostle was not yet allowed to write, ver. 4. III. The solemn oath taken by him who
had the book in his hand, ver.
5-7. IV. The charge given to the apostle, and observed
by him, ver. 8-11.

The Seven Thunders. (a.
d. 95.)

1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from
heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his
head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as
pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book
open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left
foot on the earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as
when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders
uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had
uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice
from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven
thunders uttered, and write them not. 5 And the angel which
I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to
heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,
who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth,
and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which
are therein, that there should be time no longer: 7 But in
the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to
sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared
to his servants the prophets.

Here we have an account of another vision
the apostle was favoured with, between the sounding of the sixth
trumpet and that of the seventh. And we observe,

I. The person who was principally concerned
in communicating this discovery to John—an angel from heaven,
another mighty angel, who is so set forth as would induce
one to think it could be no other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ! 1. He was clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory,
which is too great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil
upon his dispensations. Clouds and darkness are round about
him. 2. A rainbow was upon his head; he is always
mindful of his covenant, and, when his conduct is most mysterious,
yet it is perfectly just and faithful. 3. His face was as the
sun, all bright, and full of lustre and majesty, ch. i. 16. 4. His feet were
as pillars of fire; all his ways, both of grace and providence,
are pure and steady.

II. His station and posture: He set his
right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth, to
show the absolute power and dominion he had over the world. And
he held in his hand a little book opened, probably the same
that was before sealed, but was now opened, and gradually fulfilled
by him.

III. His awful voice: He cried aloud, as
when a lion roareth (v.
3), and his awful voice was echoed by seven
thunders, seven solemn and terrible ways of discovering the
mind of God.

IV. The prohibition given to the apostle,
that he should not publish, but conceal what he had learned from
the seven thunders, v.
4. The apostle was for preserving and publishing every
thing he saw and heard in these visions, but the time had not yet
come.

V. The solemn oath taken by this mighty
angel. 1. The manner of his swearing: He lifted up his hand to
heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever, by himself, as
God often has done, or by God as God, to whom he, as Lord,
Redeemer, and ruler of the world, now appeals. 2. The matter of the
oath: that there shall be time no longer; either, (1.) That
there shall be now no longer delay in fulfilling the predictions of
this book than till the last angel should sound; then every thing
should be put into speedy execution: the mystery of God shall be
finished, v. 7.
Or, (2.) That when this mystery of God is finished time itself
shall be no more, as being the measure of things that are in a
mutable changing state; but all things shall be at length for ever
fixed, and so time itself swallowed up in eternity.

The Little Book. (a.
d. 95.)

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake
unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which
is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and
upon the earth. 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto
him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it,
and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be
in thy mouth sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book
out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth
sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many
peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Here we have, I. A strict charge given to
the apostle, which was, 1. That he should go and take the little
book out of the hands of that mighty angel mentioned before.
This charge was given, not by the angel himself who stood upon the
earth, but by the same voice from heaven that in the fourth verse had lain an injunction
upon him not to write what he had discerned by the seven thunders.
2. To eat the book; this part of the charge was given by the angel
himself, hinting to the apostle that before he should publish what
he had discovered he must more thoroughly digest the predictions,
and be in himself suitably affected with them.

II. An account of the taste and relish
which this little book would have, when the apostle had taken it
in; at first, while in his mouth, sweet. All persons feel a
pleasure in looking into future events, and in having them
foretold; and all good men love to receive a word from God, of what
import soever it be. But, when this book of prophecy was more
thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents would be bitter;
these were things so awful and terrible, such grievous persecutions
of the people of God, and such desolation made in the earth, that
the foresight and foreknowledge of them would not be pleasant, but
painful to the mind of the apostle: thus was Ezekiel's prophecy to
him, ch. iii. 3.

III. The apostle's discharge of the duty he
was called to (v.
10): He took the little book out of the angel's hand,
and ate it up, and he found the relish to be as was told him.
1. It becomes the servants of God to digest in their own souls the
messages they bring to others in his name, and to be suitably
affected therewith themselves. 2. It becomes them to deliver every
message with which they are charged, whether pleasing or unpleasing
to men. That which is least pleasing may be most profitable;
however, God's messengers must not keep back any part of the
counsel of God.

IV. The apostle is made to know that this
book of prophecy, which he had now taken in, was not given him
merely to gratify his own curiosity, or to affect him with pleasure
or pain, but to be communicated by him to the world. Here his
prophetical commission seems to be renewed, and he is ordered to
prepare for another embassy, to convey those declarations of the
mind and will of God which are of great importance to all the
world, and to the highest and greatest men in the world, and such
should be read and recorded in many languages. This indeed is the
case; we have them in our language, and are all obliged to attend
to them, humbly to enquire into the meaning of them, and firmly to
believe that every thing shall have its accomplishment in the
proper time; and, when the prophecies shall be fulfilled, the sense
and truth of them will appear, and the omniscience, power, and
faithfulness of the great God will be adored.